Gone
by Inu-Aisuru
Summary: Inuyasha seems different somehow. He's pushing away from everybody, especially Kagome. But, as an effort for her safety, Inuyasha again pushes her down the well, and locks her in her time... forever.


A/N: Please R&R!  
  
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Gone:  
  
Chapter 1: In The Cold  
  
The winter snow fell gracefully onto the damp earth before fading away. The trees glistened in the soft snow, their evergreen leaves completing the perfect picture of peace.  
  
Around me were all my friends, wrapped up tightly in their clothes, clutching at themselves for comfort and heat. The small fire in the middle of our circle, it's yellow flames dancing in the cold wind, spewed dark smoke that floated into the sky.  
  
Shippo, a miserable, pained expression clearly written all over his face, snuggled deeper into the folds of Sango's outer kimono and clutched Kirara closer, bringing her furry back to his face and snuggling up against it.  
  
Miroku, his staff thrown carelessly to the ground, something I've hardly ever seen, pulled his robe closer around him, his gaze never leaving from Sango's direction.  
  
There was an odd silence around us, no one knowing quite what to say.  
  
"Oi... houshi-sama?"  
  
"Hai?"  
  
Sango paused and stared at the ground. She gripped the folds of her haori tightly with clench fists, her head shooting up. "I know you know where Inuyasha is, so just tell us. We need to leave this miserable place and look for the jewel shards. Or we could at least go to Keade-bachan's village!"  
  
"Hai, I know you are unhappy with these weather... conditions, but-!" Miroku stopped short, not sure what else to say without giving away the reason for Inuyasha's disappearance.  
  
"I'm not unhappy!" she yelled, standing up, the woolen blanket falling into the snow. She glanced at me, and must've seen something in my expression, because she quickly sat back down, muttering a faint "Gomen Kagome-chan," Under her breath.  
  
The fire cackled as we all sat and stared at it.  
  
Where had Inuyasha gone? Sometime in the middle of the night, he had left without saying a word to any of us... but It was Miroku who insisted on waiting for him, leaving us to the conclusion that he had some fair idea about Inuyasha's whereabouts, and not telling us about it. We don't keep secrets from each other, except about the past, so Sango and I immediately became enraged, her in her complaints, and me in my silence.  
  
"Kagome?"  
  
I looked down at the kitsune who had appeared in my lap, noticing for the first time how thin he was getting, and how abnormally quiet he had been. He had deep bags under his eyes, sinking into his shadowed face, and his small hands were shaking in the cold.  
  
"Hai, Shippo-chan?"  
  
He wiped at his nose and sniffled. "Can't we just leave without Inuyasha? He'll find us eventually. He just has to follow our scent."  
  
Shippo turned to look at Miroku, who stilled and stared at him back.  
  
"Shippo, please try and be patient. Inuyasha would want us to wait for him." I said, Miroku nodding his head the whole time, Sango standing up and brushing off her clothes she announced, "I'm leaving."  
  
Miroku looked up, his eyes wide in surprise. "Sango, I'm sure he'll be back soon."  
  
She stubbornly shook her head, her eyes blaring with some unknown anger. "I'm not waiting any longer. It's nearly sunset, and we've just been sitting here hour after hour in the cold. I'm taking Kirara and going to Kaede-bachan's village!" She turned to me, lowering her voice and said, "Kagome-chan, do want to come?"  
  
I shivered against the wind, and moved closer to the fire. "No. I'll wait for Inuyasha, but take Shippo-chan and give him something warm to eat... he doesn't look well."  
  
Shippo weakly smiled at me, before jumping into Sango's arms. Sango looked at me, her eyes pensive and concentrated, before she flew off with Kirara.  
  
For a long time I had know something was up. Inuyasha was always angrier than usual, cussing and swearing at every minor fault, and pushing everyone away from him. He was tenser and more frustrated, taking out his anger on all of us... but mostly me.  
  
It was a couple nights ago, after a long, grueling fight I had with Inuyasha over taking a break and going home, that I overheard whispering voices, from where I lay folded in my sleeping bag. A constant muttering, and occasional growl, and sharp sounds of Miroku's staff connecting with, I supposed, Inuyasha's head, would have appeared to most people as comical, but it scared me... it really did.  
  
The battles for the remaining shards of the Shikon Jewel were becoming more dangerous as the days passed on. I just recently was kidnapped by a neko- youkai. Inuyasha, in the process of saving me, did not expect a second demon to appear, and in the midst of the fighting, being pushed and shoved around, in and out of safety, I was slashed in the back, a long, deep bloody gash stretching from my right shoulder to left hip. Now it's just a thin white scar, but Inuyasha's never forgiven himself for 'marring me' he called it.  
  
That was pretty much what started it all.  
  
When I first received the wound, Inuyasha refused to let go of me, dressing the wound himself, cleaning me, feeding me, and holding me while I slept. Even after I was physically able to be on my own, he wash the injury until eventually it became a scar. After that he would have nothing to do with me.  
  
Sometimes I'd run up to him, just to casually talk, or ask what kind of youkai we were searching for, he'd never meet my eyes, and find some excuse to go on ahead. Usually it was, "I smell something," or, "I'll check ahead," and then he'd bound off, his feet moving swiftly under him until I couldn't see him anymore.  
  
Once I realized his sudden disconnection from me, I made no attempt to talk to him, or even acknowledge his presence, and felt myself drifting farther and farther away from him.  
  
...  
  
A snapping of twigs behind me brought me back into reality. Startled I turned around and saw him walking towards us. His red haori was flying forward in the wind, looking as if he was being pushed over to us. He, again, refused to recognize me, instead choosing not to break eye contact with Miroku-sama.  
  
His stride was a faked version of his usual arrogant style. He was grinning cockily, but his eyes shone with some form of enlightenment. This went unnoticed, or unsaid, by Miroku.  
  
"Where's Sango and the brat?" Inuyasha asked, snorting when he referred Shippo to 'brat'.  
  
Miroku stood, a forced grin plastered on his face. "Sango didn't find the weather to be... convenient... so she returned to Kaede-sama's village along with Shippo and Kirara."  
  
"Keh."  
  
I remained where I was, huddled by the fire, my eyes seeing yet unseeing, my ears hearing but not listening to anything around me. I sniffled, already feeling my eyes well up with tears of frustration and sadness.  
  
"We... we waited for you." I said, in a quiet voice. At first I wasn't sure if he heard me or not, but when I saw him stiffen, and when his eyes glanced at me, I knew he had.  
  
I continued, "All day we waited for you... twelve hours or so..." I suddenly felt sick. Spending all day in the mountains, wearing a flimsy school skirt, having only one poorly made blanket as protection, hadn't done much for me. My vision began to blur, but I stood anyway, ignoring the way the world twisted and turned in unfamiliar ways.  
  
"Where were you...?" Stepping towards him, I saw him shrink back, as If he was afraid of me somehow... he didn't want me to touch him...  
  
I stopped. Looking at his beautiful face, I wondered why this had all happened, why did he hate me so much?  
  
His amber eyes shone in the dark, and they paved a way for me... I reached for him, hoping somehow he'd understand my inner pain and help me, but he just stood there, eyes wide, fists tight.  
  
"Inu...ya..."  
  
Then it was dark.  
  
A/N:  
  
This was chapter one... so... yah... Anyway PLEASE REVIEW and tell me what you think. I'm always open to ideas or comments and stuff. 


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